Levan Mebonia: “On 20 January, at midnight, Enguri HPP will shut down and repair works will begin in the tunnel.”

“On 20 January, at midnight, the plant will shut down and repair works will begin in the tunnel, continuing until the end of April. Under the approved schedule, Enguri HPP should already be working on the grid on 1 May,” Levan Mebonia, chairman of the Board of Directors of Enguri HPP LLC, told 1TV Georgian Radio.

“From the outset, from the 1970s, the design provided for the Enguri HPP tunnel to be drained once every five years, its condition assessed and the necessary works carried out. The last repair was carried out in 2006; almost 15 years have passed since then. In 2018 the tunnel was inspected and we marked the places that need repair and from which water is presumably leaking, causing losses of electricity,” — Levan Mebonia, chairman of the Board of Directors of Enguri HPP LLC.

“By our estimate this amounts to roughly 200–250 million kWh a year. We believe the repair will reduce that figure by 30–40%. Accordingly, losses will fall by 100 million kWh,” — Levan Mebonia, chairman of the Board of Directors of Enguri HPP LLC.

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